Is my computer gonna explode?
There's always that chance. If all goes well, you shouldn't notice much difference from 1.2.1, but here's what to specifically look for:
- MML and preferences bugs - all XML parsing was completely replaced. The new code is much easier to read and debug, but I did have to write new code for every single MML setting and preference. Aleph One has a lot of those.
- Brightness setting in Shader - when using the Shader renderer, the original method of adjusting the screen brightness (which never worked well in windowed mode, is deprecated by every modern OS, and flat-out crashes on newer Macs) is replaced with a new approach. This will eventually be used for all OpenGL drawing, including Classic. If you use OpenGL (Classic), please try Shader in this alpha.
Is there anything new?
This is an experiment in crowd-sourced testing. Only download the alpha if you can provide feedback and help find problems. If you're looking for new features, sit tight and wait for the final release this winter.
C'mon, there has to be something good in here.
Okay, there are a few things:
- Some minor bugs were fixed, including the music-order bug in Phoenix and Eternal, and one of the errors Crater Creator triggered in software mode.
- Infinity includes Goran's most recent Lava plugin.
- Marathon includes a higher-res starscape.
- The "Brightness" setting is restored for OS X users, if you use Shader.
- Aleph One tries harder to recover when the main window fails to start properly.
- Aleph One's home page and update-check URLs were changed to no longer point to SourceForge.
So I broke it, what now?
Report bugs in this thread. If it's graphics related, include your OS version number, and your video card or Mac model. Also check the standard advice on reporting bugs.
Note to Mac users: 10.7 or later is required. If you're on an older Mac, stick with 1.2.1.